


The Chosen One

by thewriter



Category: The Lion King (1994)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-08-28 21:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8462818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewriter/pseuds/thewriter
Summary: How Scar came to choose Kovu as his would be heir and what happened during and afterward.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my 3 AM ideas. It ended up being a merge of all 3 of the Lion King storylines surmising how Kovu came to be in Scar's care. I also showed how the other characters form their attitudes prior to their appearance in the movies\TV show. This was fun to write because it was a different take on material most people know.

It all began with the death of The Guard. That had been his greatest error, yet somehow it was to become his greatest triumph.

He had destroyed them one by one: the Swiftest, The Strongest, The Bravest, The Keenest of Sights. As he expected, the strongest lion was the hardest to take down, but Scar didn't let that slow him down. They had disobeyed him and so they would pay-all of them.

The mate, a slender but dark tawny lioness had gotten in his way (clearly trying to defend her mate from his advances) so he had gotten rid of her too. It was a pity to get rid of such a fine lioness he could mate with; have cubs with, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. He had not been thinking clearly at the time.

The lioness snarled at him as he approached still crouched over the body of her dead mate, but Scar disposed of her quickly and was about to turn his back to return home when he heard it. A soft piteous noise and he was only then he saw the cub. Dark like it's father had been, squalling for all it was worth for parents who would never come.

Scar resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He hadn't even seen the cub in his haste; hidden in the tall grass as it was. Possibly if he had seen it he would've left the female alive.

Sighing, he bent down to take the cub in his jaws. He would take this cub to his own mate, Zira, maybe she would know what could be done. Scar made his way home clutching the still crying cub. He was rehearsed in his mind what he would tell Zira, if she took the cub as her own. Maybe he could overlook his oversight, maybe this cub could be useful to him. He would at last have an heir to a throne he wished to protect (even from his own nephew, who he had banished years before).

This cub would be suitable. He thought, certainly better than his own son, Nuka, who was scrawny, malnourished and weak, both in mind and body. A plan was forming in Scar's mind something that had been on his mind since he had taken over, but he had been unsure of how to put it into action. Now he was sure. Scar nodded to himself in satisfaction as he headed for his favorite cave behind Pride Rock. He wouldn't take to the den just now, not until the lionesses had returned from their hunt.

 

Zira yawned from where she lay in the den. Most of the lionesses had given her a wide berth since Scar had become king. She could take this or leave it, she surmised, she was happy where she was.

She studied the small cub which lay between her paws. The cub was female, and pale in color-yet another cub Scar didn't want. Her son, Nuka was is even more of a disappointment. He had been born a few months prior and was dark, and scrawny; not what Scar had in mind when he pictured his heir. Zira looked lazily over at her oldest cub who was currently chasing a bug around the floor of the den. Shaking her head, she returned to grooming her daughter.

She had just finished grooming Vitani to her satisfaction when Scar returned. Zira looked up as soon as she saw him, and was about to speak when she saw the cub. It was small and whimpering, dark in color almost like Scar down to the bright green eyes. The cub could have been his.

Scar unceremoniously deposited the cub between his paws as he looked at her.

"Scar, what's this?" Zira demanded, a growl rising in her throat as she looked down at the cub.

"The solution to my problem."

Zira raised an eyebrow.

"Which is?"

"This cub will be my heir." Scar stated drawing himself up, "if you take him we can groom him and train him and he will take over the throne."

Zira listened and after Scar had finished she spoke.

"It has… merit." She mused as she studied the cub, who had begun crawling towards her. "Very well," she sighed, "I will take him. However," Zira paused in reflection, "such a dark prince needs a proper name. How about "Kovu" since he is a reflection of you… Scar, my love."

Scar smiled.

"A good strong name for my little prince." Scar agreed.

"Seeing you coming into the den with a cub so young it is not quite how I pictured my love. How did you come by this great discovery?"

Scar had been debating whether or not to tell her, that he figured it made little difference. He had been banished for the use of The Roar and the Guard was dead, his plan required a few revisions but so far everything was going his way.

"An oversight on my part." Scar replied mildly. "The lion I killed had a mate and the mate got in my way… I had to dispose of her."

"Who dares to challenge you my love?" Zira asked.

"I have disposed of the Guard…" Scar replied lazily as he stretched out beside her. "My brother is dead and my nephew is banished. This cub," he gestured to the dark cub now curled up next to Vitani, "is the foundation of my new kingdom."

Zira lazily licked his ear.

"Of course, my love."

Then she raised her voice and called for her eldest son.

"Nuka!"

The scrawny cub looked up, cracking his small head on a nearby rock.

"Yes mother?" He replied nearly tripping over his paws in the process.

In just a matter of seconds Zira's voice had immediately softened to an audible croon. "Come here and meet your new brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted a darker twist on the "everything the light touches" scene with Mufasa and Simba the from the first movie to show how Scar is manipulating a young Kovu.

It was still dark when Scar woke Kovu. The cub blinked blearily up at his surrogate father.

"It's still dark." He mumbled, before laying his head back down. "I want to go back to sleep."

"Well then," Scar replied smoothly, "you'll miss the best part and all I have to show you today."

Grudgingly, Kovu got to his feet and followed Scar out of the den. Behind him, Zira, Nuka, Vitani and the other lionesses still slept. Today, no one was going to question Scar's orders.

Scar lead Kovu to the very edge of Pride Rock from where they could see the sun just peeking out, pink, over the horizon.

"Look at our kingdom, Kovu, everything you see before you is ours."

Kovu, still sleepy, looked unimpressed.

"It doesn't look like much from what I can see." He muttered, "Everything is dying."

Scar ignored this. Of course the cub had a conscience, but Scar would beat that out of him if it was the last thing he did.

"You must understand," Scar continued, "everything you see before you will one day be yours, after I'm gone you will be the new king."

"Really?" Kovu asked, "Why me? What about Nuka and Vitani?"

"Oh!" Scar scoffed, "They are not you, you're special, that's why you will be king."

"Oh," Kovu mumbled, "okay." Then he said no more.

 

Scar led Kovu further from Pride Rock, the dried grass crackled under their paws as they moved through it. How could Scar be so proud of this land? Kovu thought, it was nothing, it was desolate there was nothing remotely beautiful about it.

He continued to follow Scar through the landscape. Scar, having spotted a group of hyenas coming back from an evening hunt, pointed this out to Kovu.

"Look Kovu," Scar said proudly, "there are the hyenas coming back from their nightly hunt. They will be your best friends, the hyenas, they will bring food and everything a king needs."

"They aren't my friends," Kovu muttered sullenly, "I have no friends, no one likes me, not even Nuka and Vitani."

"Of course they're your friends," Scar countered, "every young prince needs friends; allies that will help him become a great king."

Kovu yawned. He was still sleepy, maybe he could get a few more hours of sleep before Nuka began his morning ritual of using his younger brother as a punching bag. He was grateful when Scar ended his lecture and they returned to the den. There Kovu slunk back into the mostly empty cave, everyone that he hated him had left for the moment. Vitani, was his only consolation, though she wasn't much better, while she didn't outright hate him, her attitude was painful indifference.

Finally Kovu made his way to his favorite corner of the den. There he curled into a ball and tried to sleep; it was his only escape from his troubled waking world.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning sun had turned the Pride Lands a series of muted tones. The hyenas had eaten much of the prides food, or the herds had moved on because of the impending drought.

None of this, however, seem to dampen Scar's mood. This morning he and Zira were taking Kovu and Vitani out for a very important lesson.

"Mother, can't I go?" Nuka whined.

"No!" Zira snapped, "You'll just slow us down. We had big things for Kovu and Vitani this morning, things they need to know."

"But I'm older!" Nuka complained.

"Silence!" Zira growled. "This is a job for your brother and sister."

Realizing defeat, Nuka skulked back into the den. He was getting tired of all this "Scar's chosen one" stuff.

 

Scar and Zira made their way across the Pride Lands most of the animals giving them a wide berth. In front of them, Kovu and Vitani chased each other's tails, as cubs their age were bound to do. Once they were a fair distance away from Pride Rock, Scar laid out his plan.

"Now none of this fancy frolicking, little ones." He said in a smooth voice. "You have to be able to defend yourself, to fight when necessary."

"You have to be able to stand up for yourself, and don't let anyone get in your way." Zira growled.

"So we don't play?" Kovu asked.

"No, no." Scar explained, "Fighting is much better because you get something out of it. You can always get something out of it."

Kovu and Vitani looked at each other, but they were listening.

"So what do we have to do?" Vitani asked.

Scar and Zira looked at each other and smirked. This was definitely the type of question they wanted their children to ask. 

It was Scar who answered.

"First, you hold your ground, don't let anyone or anything by you. Make sure your stance is far apart that will decrease the likelihood of someone getting past you or hurting you."

Kovu and Vitani did as instructed, tails switching as they crouched in the tall grass barely visible.

"Next," Scar instructed, "make yourself look bigger than your opponent, make them back down."

Vitani did as her father instructed, and sure enough, Kovu, the smaller of the two cubs backed away. 

Vitani smirked triumphantly.

"Did you see me?" She asked excitedly, "Kovu backed away!"

"Very good, Vitani, now let Kovu try, he has to know this too."

Kovu did as he was told, but he was smaller than his sister so it would be easy. He did everything Scar told him to do, everything Vitani had done, but she didn't back away."

Seeing his frustration, Scar continued with the lesson.

"Finally, use a roar or growl to intimidate your opponent."

"Ah, yes, my favorite part!" Zira said smugly, chuckling softly.

This time, when Vitani approached him, Kovu growled. He was surprised it made him feel better, bigger, and less scared. Vitani kept coming, but so did Kovu, still growling, but Vitani was growling too, she wasn't backing down either.

Kovu gritted his teeth, he kept coming and eventually Vitani backed away, her ears and tail downcast.

"Very good, Kovu!" Scar praised. He and Zira looked at each other proudly.

They made both of the cubs go through their paces several more times and Scar only stopped when he saw figures on the horizon heading back towards Pride Rock.

"Come, the lionesses have returned."

Zira followed his gaze.

"Ah yes, so they have."

"Time to eat?" Vitani asked.

"Yes sweetheart." Zira looked down at her daughter.

Scar and Zira didn't speak much after that, they picked up the cubs and returned to Pride Rock where the royal hunting party was waiting for them. They all hoped they had brought them something good, it had been a long morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show in this chapter how Zira may have formulated her attitudes towards Kovu in Simba's Pride. I also wanted to show how Nuka came to despise Kovu and how Kovu and said being independent, but lonely.

The subject of Kovu was often a source of disagreement between Scar and Zira, while they both wanted the young cub to be successful as Scar's protégé, they both had different ideas of how that was to come about.

"If you want him to be such a strong and powerful king, you must train him!" Zira grumbled.

"What do you think I've been doing?" Scar growled, "it is all good and well for Kovu to be trained, but he is of little use to me now. He is still a cub, Zira!"

Scar had his motives and reasons, but Zira had a one track mind, she wanted results, and she wanted them now!

"Very well." She finally conceded, "Let him play… For now. Nuka!" She snapped at her oldest son.

Nuka's head snapped up, as he tripped over his overgrown paws in his haste to obey his mother's orders. His mane was beginning to grow in, though his face still bore a cubish appearance.

"Yes mother?"

"Go watch your brother," Zira replied simply, "make sure he doesn't get into any trouble.

"Yes mother." Nuka mumbled as he skulked out of the den. He didn't understand why his sister couldn't have this job, but Vitani was over in the corner of the den teasing the rodents and lizards that lived nearby. Still grumbling, Nuka headed off in the direction he hoped Kovu had gone.

Kovu, meanwhile, had wandered off. It was a rare moment he didn't have anyone looking over his shoulder. Usually, Zira or Scar was with him, or even Vitani, but she preferred her rough games and terrorizing the small creatures around Pride Rock. Kovu, despite Scar's encouragement, disliked these games and as a result he had become even more independent. He preferred being on his own where he could think and explore, while Scar encouraged him to play outside, Kovu had little time where he could properly explore. He found he liked exploring, but it would have been much more fun had he had another cub to do it with.

Like a friend, he thought, almost like a friend.

Meanwhile, Nuka had little luck finding Kovu. He was scared to return home for fear of what his parents would say did he return empty-handed, but his surrogate brother was nowhere in sight. He had never been his parents favorite, he knew that, ever since Scar had taken in Kovu, everyone seemed to forget Nuka even existed.

 

It was almost dark by the time Kovu returned home. He was smart enough not stay out after dark by himself, though he dreaded coming home.

"Where have you been?" Zira growled.

"Out." Kovu whispered, but was saved from further explanation when Scar strode into the den.

"Practicing your skills, my little prince?" Scar asked fondly.

"Yes." Kovu replied meekly. It was the only answer he could give that they would accept, after that they would leave him alone. Then he could crawl in his corner of the den away from everyone and sleep, at least in his dreams no one could bother him.


	5. Chapter 5

Scar was in a particularly bad mood. He was in one of those moods where everything bothered him, unfortunately his only amusement was playing with the discarded bones on the den floor. Zazu, the horn bill majordomo, had been confined to a rib cage prison bemoaning his fate since the death of the king.

He should have shut up Zazu long ago. Scar thought, though Scar had thought this frequently since he had taken the throne. His other concern were the hyenas, who, by now were getting on his last nerve. Now all they did was complain about the lack of food, which, at the moment was not Scar's main concern.

There was Kovu to think about… Perhaps he would speak to Sarabi about the progress of her hunting party.

 

"SARABI!" Scar bellowed from a small outcropping beside Pride Rock. He waited until some of the hyenas had brought her to him though she barely flinched as they snapped at her heels.

"Yes Scar." She replied stoically, she hadn't blinked. He would have admired her resolve if he hadn't been so angry.

"Where is your hunting party, they're not doing their job!" He growled.

"Scar, there is no food, the herds have moved on." She replied in that same flat voice.

"You're just not looking hard enough!" Scar snapped.

"It's over," Sarabi continued, "there is nothing left! We have one choice, we must leave Pride Rock!"

"We're not going anywhere!" Scar grumbled, his voice barely above a growl.

"Then you've sentenced us to death!" Sarabi returned.

"Then so be it." Scar growled, at this point, he didn't care.

Now Sarabi sounded horrified.

"You can't do that!"

"I'm the king, I can do whatever I want!" Scar returned with equal venom.

This time Sarabi didn't back down, but straightened her thin shoulders; she seemed to be as angry as he was.

"If you were half the king Mufasa was--" she began.

"I AM TEN TIMES THE KING MUFASA WAS!" Scar roared as he struck her, her body making a satisfactory thudding noise several feet away.

Suddenly there was a monstrous roar from above the rocks surrounding Pride Rock and Scar looked up. At first, he thought it was an apparition of his his dead brother come back to life to haunt him.

"Mufasa!" He gasped, "No, you're dead!"

The lion before him walked over and leaned down to nuzzle Sarabi, but Scar was close enough catch their words.

"Mufasa?" She murmured weakly.

"No," the lion replied, "it's me."

"Simba?" She whispered. "You're alive? How can that be?"

"It doesn't matter," Simba replied, "I'm home."

"Simba! Simba…" Scar smoothed out his tone. "I'm a little surprised to see you… Alive."

By now Simba had backed away from his mother turning his attention to Scar.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart." He growled his voice barely above a whisper.

Now Scar had to think quickly, but it was what he was good at.

"But Simba, you must understand, the pressures of ruling a kingdom--"

"Are no longer yours." Simba finished firmly, "Step down Scar."

"Well you see there is one little problem." Scar replied carefully, as he gestured to the hyenas on the ledge above, "They think I'm king."

A young lioness, Nala cut him off.

"Well we don't-Simba's the rightful king."

"The choice is yours Scar, either step down or fight." Simba replied in a tone that left little room for argument. Scar, however seemed unfazed, he wasn't going to back down that easily.

"Must it all end in violence?" Scar said mildly, "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Simba?"

"That's not going to work Scar, I've put it behind me."

"But what about your faithful subjects, have they put it behind them?" The least he could do was make his nephew feel as guilty as he deserved.

Nala had stepped forward once more, but now she seemed confused as she spoke directly to Simba.

"Simba, what is he talking about?"

Scar having gotten over his shock was delighted.

"Ah, so you haven't told them your little secret, well Simba, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death!"

There was a long pause, but finally Simba spoke, so quietly only a few could hear him.

"I am." He replied flatly.

In the silence Sarabi moved forward to confront her son, for the second time that day Scar thought she looked old and worn.

"It's not true," she whispered hoarsely, "tell me it's not true!"

"It's true." Simba whispered and to Scar's satisfaction his nephew sounded broken, exactly as he intended.

"You see?" Scar now strode back into the middle of the lionesses, "He admits it, murderer!"

Now it was Simba who was backed into a corner as Scar had been moments before.

"No, no, it was an accident!" Simba cried, now sounding like the terrified cub he had been.

"If it weren't for you Mufasa would still be alive. It's your fault he's dead! Do you deny it?" By now Scar could tell Simba was getting nervous, he had gotten his nephew to run away once before, he could do it again.

"No." Simba whispered.

"Then-your-guilty!" Scar returned savagely.

"No, I'm not a murderer!" Simba protested, but Scar wasn't listening.

 

Slowly, very slowly he began backing his nephew towards the edge of Pride Rock, the hordes of hyenas behind him snarling, at least he had back up. He would leave Zira out of this. It was his vendetta to settle.

Scar continued berating his nephew as he backed him towards the edge of the cliff. He liked having the upper hand, it suited him just fine and he was pleased Simba seemed so unsettled.

"Oh Simba, you're in trouble again," Scar said silkly, "but this time, daddy isn't here to save you, and now, everyone-knows-why!"

To punctuate his last three words he lunch at Simba just as Simba lost his footing and slid over; Scar caught him just in time digging his claws into Simba's front legs. Just then, lightning struck the Pride Lands setting it ablaze turning the dried grass into an ocean of fire.

From somewhere behind him, amid the smoke and fire, Scar heard Nala cry out as lightning flashed.


	6. Chapter 6

The scene before Kovu was chaos. From where he watched in the den he could barely tell what was going on. Nuka and Vitani were behind him watching in equal horrified fascination. Zira had ordered them all to stay out of the way and Kovu didn't question her.

The air was thick and smoky and had he not been so close to the ground Kovu would have barely been able to breathe. He could barely see the figures of Scar and Simba on the edge of Pride Rock. He watched as Simba leapt from where he had been hanging, pinning Scar to the ground. All the sounds from the fighting obscured their words, but Kovu knew Simba was angry, very angry.

Amid the lions and hyenas Kovu spied a warthog and meerkat. He hadn't seen anything like them before, and had it not been so chaotic he would have liked to go investigate; there were not creatures like that around here… At least not that he knew of.

 

Scar knew he was in trouble maybe it was better that he just make a quick getaway and cut his losses. Last thing he wanted was his followers and his family knowing he was ducking out, but his nephew proved to be a fierce adversary.

Worn down, he began to slink away along the side of Pride Rock, but Simba wasn't that far behind him.

Scar scrambled down the rocky ledge but it was cumbersome to a lion of his age, unlike his nephew who traversed the rocks with ease.

Without a trace of fear Simba pursued Scar through a wall of fire, a place Scar was sure his nephew wouldn't follow. He was wrong.

"Murderer." Simba growled.

Scar knew he was in trouble now.

"Simba, please, I beg you…" Scar began hastily.

"You don't deserve to live…" Simba muttered as he continued forward.

"But Simba," Scar knew he had to choose his words carefully now, "I am family! It was a hyenas, who are the real enemy. It was their fault, it was their idea!"

Simba, however, was unmoved.

"Why should I believe you," Simba grumbled in the same low voice, "everything you ever told me was a lie."

"What are you going to do?" Scar gasped, scarcely believing his nephew's words. "You wouldn't kill your own uncle…?"

Simba sighed, though he still sounded very angry.

"No, Scar, I'm not like you." He replied finally.

Scar was relieved.

"Oh, Simba, thank you. You are truly noble. I'll make it up to you, I promise. How can I, ah, prove myself to you? Tell me; anything."

"Run," Simba finally replied, "run away Scar, and never return."

The words sent chills down Scar's spine, for they were the very words Scar had once told Simba as a young cub. Gradually, he moved away with every impression of leaving.

"Yes, of course. As you wish…" Just then Scar spied a pile of hot cold simmering on the ground before him and he was struck by an idea, "Your Majesty!" He growled as he swiped the coals into Simba's face. Simba cried out in surprise and pain but that was just enough time for Scar to attack. Once again attempting to push Simba over the edge of Pride Rock.

So the climax of the fight began. They landed blow after blow neither of them giving in. Eventually, Scar was pretty sure he had his nephew right where he wanted and he leapt to deliver the fatal blow, but at the last moment Simba kicked him with his back legs sending Scar sprawling and tumbling to a spot below Pride Rock; a place where the fire had not touched.

When Scar finally regained his senses he looked up to see the hyenas closing in, led by Shenzi, Banazai and Ed.

"Ah, my friends." Scar sighed.

"Friends?" Shenzi cackled. "I thought he said we were the enemy?"

"Yeah that's what I heard." Banzai replied.

"Ed?" The other two questioned.

Ed only cackled more, but he did not sound like his "always funny" self. That made Scar very nervous.

So like creatures from hell the hyenas followed by walls of fire closed in.

 

It was dark by the time Zira returned to the den, but she sounded uncharacteristically frantic.

"Scar? Where are you, Scar?"

Kovu watched the exchange, not quite sure what to make of the situation. Beside him, Vitani was observing; Nuka, for once, was uncharacteristically subdued.

"Check with the hyenas." One of the lionesses commented casually before she wandered away.

Then once again Zira hurried away, Kovu could hear her panting heavily. He didn't know where she had gone until he heard her anguished scream, which turned into a pained roar. It appears the night even above the sound of the falling rain and rang in his ears long after everyone had finally fallen asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

In the months following Scar's death and Simba's return. Zira and her family were relegated to the caves behind Pride Rock. Unbeknownst to her family however, Zira didn't let this bother her although Nuka heard her complain frequently.

It was Nuka however, who first heard the news that would change their lives forever.

Zira, in her distress, was pleased to hear this.

"Good," she growled under her breath, "maybe Simba will see reason and renounced his claim on the throne and I will take the place as the rightful queen!"

 

This was, however, far from what Simba, now easing into his role as king had in mind. As the sun set over the Pride Lands Zira took her family with Vitani and Kovu in tow; to the days of the large rock formation, sometimes carrying Kovu because he was the youngest.

Zira's eyes narrowed when she saw the animals gathered before Pride Rock.

What does he think he's playing at? She wandered. The Royals only call the animals if they have a big announcement. Once again, her lips lifted in a sinister smile. Maybe I was wrong, maybe he will see reason.

Zira, Nuka, Vitani and Kovu and a small group of lionesses gathered before the animals. Above them was Simba, behind him was his mate, Nala and the rest of the lionesses that formed the royal company (though they were barely visible from where Zira stood).

Once the animals had quieted Simba spoke in a loud ringing voice, which seemed to carry for miles. Despite her irritation, Zira was impressed. 

"I called you all here as I want to make my first proclamation as your King!"

The animals roared in approval.

Why has he called us here then? Zira thought darkly, as Kovu cowered between her paws, we are not his loving, lowly subjects. She looked around at the murmuring lionesses, who, she noted were beginning to look a bit nervous.

"My first act as King is this: I hereby banish all of those loyal to my uncle! All those found trespassing on our lands again will be killed!"

Once again, the animals voiced their approval.

"You have until tomorrow morning to leave these lands," Simba continued, "I never want to see you in my kingdom again, is that clear?"

There were several more murmurs from the lionesses around Zira, and most of them looked panicked now, a panic, Zira refused to let herself feel. How dare he keep her from her home! Scar's home! The place where they had raised their family together.

Somewhere in the distance an elephant trumpeted, as if punctuating Simba's final words. His proclamation now decreed, Simba returned to the den and Zira could just see the flick of Nala's tail; no doubt she was with cubs by now, Simba would certainly want an heir.

That made her even angrier.

"Come on, let's go!" She growled to the cubs at her feet.

"Mother, where are we going?" Nuka asked.

"Away," she answered, "away from here!"

"This is our home!" Nuka stuttered as he looked uncertainly at his sister.

Zira smiled grimly.

"We will come back someday." she murmured absently as she stared down at Kovu. "Scar had a plan so we could, no matter what Simba says!"

Zira bent down again grasping Kovu in her jaws. The cub was her last hope; she only hoped he could be as useful as Scar had planned to be the heir her mate had longed for.

 

By daybreak, Zira and her small band of lionesses were just on the northern border of the Pride Lands, one last time she looked back. There was nothing visible now that she recognized just trees still bare and rocks in varying shades of gray. She would return someday and claim the land as her own; if all went well Kovu would be grown and with her. Then Simba would be overthrown and Kovu would take his place as king and be the ruler Scar had always hoped he would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much of this chapter was inspired by this picture:  
>   
> [Zira's exile](http://kivuli.deviantart.com/art/Zira-s-exile-38240651) by [Kivuli](http://kivuli.deviantart.com/) on [DeviantArt](http://www.deviantart.com)


End file.
